Abyssal Depths
'Retreat to the abyssal depths!' The Abyssal Depths is both a place and a country, for deep below the calm surface of the ocean lies a dark fortress on the rocky ocean floor. Populated by nauticus, Merfolk, and Naga, the abyssal depths is a nightmarish city-state which is little understood by the surface races. What little is known of their culture has been gathered by centuries of warfare, for the Abyss releases incursions onto dry land, always attempting to gain a foothold on dry land. While they have never met full success, they have managed to establish a small village on a westron continent, a part of a peace treaty signed long ago. That known of them is detailed below. Races The Abyss is home to many races and cultures, the more important of which is detailed below. Nauticas The Nauticas are a Warlike race of slightly sadistic, arrogant, and authoritarian creatures. Possessed of an instinctual intellect and cunning, the nauticas are the leading race of the Abyss. Protected by a thick grey-black coat similar to both the chitin of crabs and the skin of whales, the nauticas are adapted as much to dry land as the sea. They have sharp talons on both hands and feet, but their feet are more like spines that stick into the ground. they have chitinous, brittle bone, but make up for it with dense muscle fabric. They have no mouths, but their gills can breath both air and water. They can talk through a semi-telepathic device in which they emit signals that take on sound when they leave their body. Their eyes are highly protected against pressure changes, a neccesary adaption considering they have been known to move from the bottom of the sea to dry land in a matter of minutes. Merfolk The Merfolk make up the less aggresive race of the Abyss, Acting as traders and diplomats often. They are characterized by how only half of their body is aquatic and the rest human, which facilitates their negotiations. As they do not leave the Abyss as often, they are less known of than the other races. They are often times characterized by a seductive, decietful nature. Despite this knowledge, they, or at least those that have been seen, are good at their job and overwhelm reason. As warriors they lack both finesse and power, and thus are practically useless. Naga The naga are a race of powerful, serpentine, sadistic and hate-powered amphibians. While their population in the Abyss is small due to their only recent inclusion, they are a growing power and are highly valued by the Nautican Highlords. They do not live in the capital city, but rather in a base further south, from which they come when called. They are highly intelligent creatures, long-lived, and cunning, but lack the ability to procreate quickly enough to gain a truly powerful population. But they are still creatures to be feared, lurking beneath the seas... Kraken's and Leviathan The Kraken is a massive sea-dwelling creature with enough power to destroy entire boats with ease. Very little is known of them but their appearance- A giant squid-like creature possessed of dozens of tentacles, each one with enough strength to smash wood and maul flesh. The broodmother is known as the Leviathan, a creature never seen, but only recorded in the ancient records of the Shadowtongue Valley- 'A creature so vast that its appendages blotted out the sun, and darkness fell on us. The leviathan... had come.' Culture WIP Known incursions this is a list of all known incursion by the abyssal depths. Note, some minor incursions have been left out. These shall be detailed at a later point. Shadowtongue Valley incursion (327 PC) the first incursion ever recorded has almost passed from all knowledge, but in ruins from long ago a few records have been recovered. For all accounts, the Abyss 'swallowed whole the valley of the shadowtongue, and none could stand against them', but just where this 'shadowtongue valley' is none know, and no other evidence of their presence on dry land has been found. The entire tablet which described the assault is recorded below It was the 327'th passing, and all the land was prosperous beyond belief. The new empire had united our disseparate peoples and all of us were in harmony. But alas, things do not last in these troubled times. From depths below where the living dare to tread, came the accursed dwellers, the might of the Abyssal Depths, and a thousand warriors did march upon us. The war we toiled for ages, fighting to our last breaths, until we began to drive them back. In glory, a thousand arms were raised and we led one last assault to drive them back into the sea. Alas, perhaps it was hubris which brought us to that fatal moment? we had grown arrogant, believing that we had won. But then deep from below, the bright sun of the leviathan's eye shown below us, and its appendages rose before us. A creature so vast that its appendages blotted out the sun, and darkness fell on us. The leviathan... had come. A thousand, nay, a million warriors clad in dark plate and shining chitin accosted us, sadistic smiles and red eyes, burying a thousand and a thousand more beneath their swords. Even so, we thought we could win, but it was to our folly. The sea itself rose to arms, and though we now realized the terrible, inevitable truth, it was too late now. The ocean itself swallowed whole the valley of the shadowtonge, and none could stand against them. A thousand years and a thousand more may pass, but this land ever drowned may remain. As for I, I shall hide beneath the waves, ever searching for an answer. The darkness deep below me still holds me weary, but I will never risk the wrath of their cold red eyes and gleaming black swords again. Perhaps the truth will one day surface, but my days are over. Farewell, dark seas. I am living on borrowed time. Krakenrock Breach (1847 PC) the Island known as Krakenrock was the site of the first incursion (unless one counts the shadowtongue valley incursion), where great creatures once thought to be only legend surfaced on the land. While they met initial success due to their complete and utter naval blockade of the island, their forces were eventually forced to leave when their enemy used a scorched earth method, leaving the Abyss with nothing to gain. With great hatred, the Abyssal depths retreated back below the seas. The Drowning (1924-1927PC) Before longbeach existed, there had once been a great desert kingdom where it now stands. But the armada of the abyss drowned the entire land, penetrating so far inland that it destroyed the entire kingdom and very nearly conquered the neighboring regions. Instead of a swift incursion which inevitably ended in failure like the others, this incursion lasted a long time, resulting in a great and bloody war. Areas that had been sunk into the ocean are still occupied by the Abyss as a breeding ground for Kraken's, but the islands have long since been abandoned due to the trouble in maintaining control. The Great Scourge (2134-2135 PC) During the great scourge, a long war between a necrocracy (magocracy ruled by necromancers) and Syrol tore the land apart. Seeing a chance, the Abyss launched a massive campaign- not seeking to conquer this time, but to weaken for future assaults. While this succeded, the Abyss has only been spotted sparcely since then. The Siege of Durktalan (2643 PC) Durktalan was once a kingdom of longbeach. The abyssal depths, after having slept for a long time, Finally renewed its efforts to conquer dry land for unknown reasons. The siege of Durktalan was a short, but bloody war which ended with the anexation of certain Islands out to sea by the Abyss, but once again the scorched earth methods of their enemies rendered them useless. The War of Vengeance (2736 PC) The War of Vengeance was a brief conflict between a group of nauticas and a confederation of kingdoms on land fought because of the Nautican anger over there enemies scorched earth methods. This war was longer then most, and ended with Nautican victory, the conditions of which being that, in return for their (as the nautican treaty put it) 'Pitiful, worthless hides', they would not only cease Scorched Earth warfare, but do all they could to heal the damaged regions. Failure to comply would result in another war, one which they could not survive. The Second War of Vengeance (2782 PC) after a succession conflict and dynastic warfare left the landed regions in ruin, the kingdoms on dry land neglected their duties of healing the damaged Islands. Outraged, the Abyss sent a massive invading force to anex all of the kingdoms. The attack was succesful, but since by now the longbeach region was naught but desert the Abyss had nothing to do with it, and once again was forced to give up their hold on dry land- but not before killing every single last paleskin that had ever dared to neglect in their duties interim since the second war of vengeance, the Abyss has sent multiple minor incursions, each one of which has met some unfortunate end and failed to conquer the region. For the past 50 years, no word has been heard from the abyss, but there is a rumour that it is planning one last final attack, to establish their territory once and for all. Category:Background Kingdoms Category:Species Category:Landforms